Yvonne June Zanotti Thrift

1930 - 1996

Yvonne Thrift, a singer, pianist, and organist, taught at Avondale College, from 1951 to 1990. An effective teacher, she trained countless students, who in turn made an impact on the music in the schools and churches of Australia.

Thrift was born in Tasmania, an island off the southern coast of Australia. She grew up in a musical family and was active in the Collinsville Seventh-day Adventist church. As a voice and piano student at Australian Missionary College, now Avondale College, she was a member of the Symphonic Choir during the years it was conducted by George Greer.

While at AMC, she met Alan George Thrift, also an accomplished singer and pianist. Following their graduations with A.Mus.A. diplomas in 1951, they married on February of that year and then taught piano at the college on a part-time basis and sang in Greer's choir while Alan completed another year of music training.

When Alan returned to lead the music program in 1957, following additional education and experience, Yvonne also assisted in the program, teaching piano and voice for nearly forty years. In 1976 the Avondale College yearbook, Jacaranda, was dedicated to them where they were praised for their ministry through music, leadership, friendliness, and untiring devotion.

In 1991 she started and then directed and toured with the Avondale Memorial Church Choir. Her husband, Alan, assumed leadership of the choir when she died in 1996. The Thrifts had two children, Karen and Michael.

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Sources: Obituary for Yvonne Thrift, The Record (South Pacific), 31 August 1996; 1976 Avondale yearbook, Jacaranda dedication; Avondale; Experiment on the Dory, Milton Hook, 1998, 206, 233, 316.